Xiao Zong, Prince of Yuzhang, courtesy name Shiqian, was the second son of Emperor Gaozu Xiao Yan. In the third year of Tianjian, he was appointed as the Prince of Yuzhang Commandery, with a fief consisting of two thousand households. Five years later, he was appointed as the Commissioner of Military Affairs in Southern Xuzhou, General Renwei, Governor of Southern Xuzhou, and soon promoted to General of the Northern Central Army. In the tenth year, he was further promoted to Commissioner of Military Affairs in Ying, Si, and Huo Three Provinces, General Yunhui, and Governor of Yingzhou. In the thirteenth year, he was promoted to General of the Right Anxi, also overseeing military affairs at the Shitou Garrison. In the fifteenth year, he was promoted to General of the West Central Army, concurrently Protector General, and later promoted to General of the Front An, and Intendant of Danyang. In the sixteenth year, he once again served as General of the Northern Central Army and Governor of Southern Xuzhou. In the second year of the Putong era, he returned to the court as Palace Attendant, Right General, and established his own assistants.
His mother, Lady Wu Shuyuan, was originally a palace maid to the Eastern Emperor of Qi, but later caught the eye of Emperor Gaozu and gave birth to Xiao Zong after a seven-month pregnancy. At that time, many people in the palace expressed doubts about this. Later, Lady Wu fell out of favor and harbored resentment, spreading these doubts everywhere. Xiao Zong held onto this memory. When Xiao Zong grew up, he was exceptionally talented and skilled in writing. Emperor Gaozu treated his sons with great respect, but rarely saw them. Xiao Zong often felt unappreciated by Emperor Gaozu. Every time Xiao Zong was appointed to a distant place, his mother Lady Wu always followed him. When he was around fifteen or sixteen, Lady Wu even played around with him, day and night without distinction, and there was gossip both inside and outside the palace about their behavior. When Xiao Zong served as the Governor of Xuzhou, his governance was harsh, and his punishments were severe. He was known for his strength and bravery, even capable of taming wild horses barehanded. He often went out in disguise at night, with no fixed time or route. Whenever an imperial edict from Emperor Gaozu arrived, he would become furious, and no courtier dared to speak up. He often privately worshipped at the Seven Temples of the Qi clan in a side hall and even went in disguise to Qiao'a to worship the tomb of Emperor Ming of Qi.
However, none of these could put his mind at ease. He heard a saying among the common people that dripping the blood of a living person on the bones of a dead person would prove a father-son relationship if it penetrated. So, Xiao Zong secretly opened the tomb of Qi Dongjun Hou, took out his bones, and dripped his own blood on them, and the result did indeed penetrate! He also killed a man, took his bones to test, and the result also penetrated. Since then, Xiao Zong has always harbored treasonous thoughts.
After four years, he was appointed as the Governor and Commander of Military Affairs for the five provinces of Nanyuan, Yan, Xu, Qing, and Ji, General Who Pacifies the North, and Governor of Nanyuan Province, and was even accompanied by a ceremonial guard. Hearing that Prince Bao Yin of Qi was in Wei, he sent people to the north to make contact with Prince Bao Yin, calling him uncle and promising to give him his territory. This coincided with a large-scale northern expedition.
In the sixth year, the Wei general Yuan Faseng led the surrender of Pengcheng, and Gaozu ordered him to lead the army to station in Pengcheng and confront the Wei general Prince Anfeng Yuan Yanming. Gaozu felt the war was dragging on too long and worried it might lead to chaos, so he ordered him to withdraw. He was afraid that if he returned to the south, he would never see Prince Bao Yin again, so he secretly took a few cavalrymen and slipped away at night to surrender to Yuan Yanming. Wei appointed him as a Palace Attendant, Grand Commandant, Duke of Gaoping, and Prince of Danyang, granting him: a fief of seven thousand households, three million coins, three thousand bolts of silk, one thousand pieces of miscellaneous colored silk, fifty horses, five hundred sheep, and one hundred slaves.
He changed his name to Zan, styled Dewen, and even wore the mourning clothes of the Qi Dongjun Hou to express his grief. Then the relevant authorities requested that he be stripped of his title and fief, have his clan status severed, and his surname changed to Bei. Not long after, an edict was issued to restore his title, appointing his son as the Marquis of Yongxin with a fief of one thousand households. In the second year of Datong, Prince Bao Yin rebelled in Chang'an; he secretly fled north from Luoyang, intending to join Prince Bao Yin, but was caught by officials at the crossing, and he was executed by the Wei authorities. He was forty-nine years old that year.
When he was young and unsuccessful, he wrote two poems, "Listening to the Chime" and "Sad Fallen Leaves," to express his aspirations. The general meaning of "Listening to the Chime" is:
Listening to the chime, one should know it is in the imperial city. The sounds are uneven and hard to count, and the history is chaotic with a hundred worries. The departing sound hangs gracefully, while the incoming sound is urgent and restless. Who cares for the fleeting time, laboring to construct the platform of life?
Listening to the chime, the sound is not from one place. Holding gems in vain, who will grant me the chance to climb the pines and break the laurels? Former friends and old loves are now far apart, like fallen leaves scattered unevenly. Where will the drifting lone geese find a place to land, and where will the lingering cranes cry in the middle of the night?
Listening to the chime, how endless it feels? For over twenty years, he stayed in the capital. Gazing into the bright mirror, hiding his true self, clouded by sorrow and longing.
His "Sad Fallen Leaves" goes like this:
Sad fallen leaves, fluttering down in layers upon layers. Falling and drifting, never to return.
Alas, watching the fallen leaves drift, it's truly heartbreaking! Life is like these fallen leaves, eventually withering and unable to be grasped for long. Alas, the leaves have fallen, when will they ever come back? We were once connected at the roots, but now we’re strangers. Everyone who saw this scene back then felt the sadness.
King Wuling Ji, whose courtesy name was Shi Xun, was the eighth son of the founder. He was diligent and studious from a young age, was talented in literature, and he favored a straightforward writing style that reflected his integrity. In the thirteenth year of Tianjian, he was appointed as the Prince of Wuling County, with a fief consisting of two thousand households. Later, he served as Ningyuan General, Prefect of Langye County, Prefect of Pengcheng County, General of Light Chariots, and Danyang Intendant. He was then appointed as Prefect of Kuaiji, and shortly after Kuaiji County was upgraded to East Yangzhou, where he became Inspector and was granted the titles of Commissioner with Credentials and General of the Eastern Guards. He was later summoned back to the court to serve as Palace Attendant while also overseeing military affairs at Shitou Garrison. He was then sent out again to serve as General of Proclamation and Governor of Jiangzhou. He was later summoned back to the court once more to serve as Commissioner with Credentials, General of Proclamation, Commander of the armies in Yangzhou and South Xuzhou, and Governor of Yangzhou. Soon after, he was reassigned as Commissioner with Credentials, Commander of the armies of thirteen provinces including Yizhou and Lianzhou, General of the West, and Governor of Yizhou, and was granted a section of the imperial music. In the eleventh year of Datong, he was appointed as a Cavalier In Regular Attendance, Grand General Who Conquers the West, and Household Counselor of equal rank to the Three Excellencies.
In the early years, during the Tianjian period, the phrase "绍宗梁位唯武王" appeared on the ground as the Sun Gate shook. Everyone interpreted that "Wu Wang" referred to the King of Wuling, leading both the court and the common people to have high hopes for him. By the time of the Taiqing period, Hou Jing rebelled, yet King Ji did not come to his aid. After the death of the founding emperor, Gaozu, King Ji actually declared himself emperor in Shu, changing the era name to Tianzheng. He appointed his son Yuanzhao as Crown Prince, Yuanzheng as the King of Xiyang, Yuanman as the King of Jingling, Yuanpu as the King of Nanqiao, and Yuansu as the King of Yidu. He appointed the Marquis of Baxi County and the Marquis of Zitong County, Hou Hui, as the Grand General of the Western Expedition and the Governor of Yizhou, and bestowed the title of King of Qinqu. Sima Wang Senglue and the direct military adviser Xu Peng both strongly advised against it, but King Ji perceived their advice as opposition and had them all executed. Marquis Hou Hui sighed and said, "The King is finished! Good people are the foundation of the country, but now they are being killed instead. It would be a miracle if disaster didn’t strike!" He also said to his confidants, "In the past, during the era of Huan Xuan, wise men said that this was the 'second month', and indeed Huan Xuan's failure came in mid-spring. Now the era name is Tianzheng; the term 'Tianzheng' in classical Chinese conveys the meaning of 'one stop'. Can this last long?"
In the fourth month of the summer of the fifth year of Taiqing, General Ji led his army eastward to Ba County, under the guise of suppressing Hou Jing, while actually aiming to seize Jingzhou and the Shaanxi region. Upon hearing that Western Wei had invaded Shu, he dispatched Qiao Yan, the Governor of Nanliang Province, to lead the troops back for rescue.
On a day in May, General Yuchi Jiong of Western Wei led a large army to approach Fushui, and the governor of Tongzhou, Yang Qianyun, opened the city gates and surrendered to him. Yuchi Jiong left some troops to garrison Fushui and led the remainder of his forces straight to Chengdu. On the Ding Chou day, General Ji's army arrived at Xiling; warships filled the river, banners fluttered brightly, and the military display was impressive. Emperor Wu of Liang ordered Guard General Lu Fahuo to construct two camps on either side of Xiaokou to control the river and halt General Ji's forces. At that time, Lu Na's rebellion had not yet been suppressed, and the Shu army attacked again, creating widespread panic among the populace. Emperor Wu of Liang was deeply concerned. Lu Fahuo continued to send urgent reports, and within ten days, he reported multiple times.
Emperor Liang Wudi then released Ren Yue from prison, appointed him as the Prince of Jin'an, and provided him with an imperial guard; at the same time, he sent General Liu Fen of the Xuanmeng and Ren Yue to the west for a rescue mission. In June, General Ji built a continuous camp at Xiakou, attempting to break through Tiesuo Pass. Liang Wudi then promoted Xie Dare to the position of infantry captain from prison, equipped him with an army, and sent him to support Lu Fa. Liang Wudi wrote a letter to General Ji, saying, "The Emperor respectfully asks Huangyue Taifu Wuling Wang: Since the Jiuli tribe invaded and the Sanmiao tribe harassed, the realm has been in constant turmoil, the northern barbarians invaded the Central Plains, and Qianzhou and Liuzhou rebelled like the Wei Kingdom, the royal family has declined. I cannot sleep at night, worry day and night, I have lost my beloved son in the east, without the support of eight hundred vassals, dressed in armor, with arrows still in my hands. Soon after, I encountered cold winds and scorching sun, many regrets surged in my heart, the sorrow of frost and dew, a hundred worries intertwined; I couldn't sleep or eat in peace, and I felt like giving up on life. It's just that I must protect the country and its people until the tyrant is defeated. I have to be vigilant every day, waiting for divine retribution, bearing all the responsibilities alone, and dealing with national affairs. Although I have prayed at the altar, recruited talents, and resisted strong enemies like the Battle of Chibi, I don't have the strategies like Lu Su; burned the granaries of Wuchao, I don't have the foresight like Xun You; my talents and wisdom are running out, money is almost spent, there is no help around me, and I have experienced countless difficulties and obstacles. In the end, I managed to defeat Zhangdi at Jumen and overcome Chiyou at Fengmu. The resentment and shame have been lifted, the world is peaceful, and I am working hard to govern the four directions, hoping to share in the peace and prosperity like that of Yue Mu. It is now in the scorching summer; how have you been, my brother? Have the civil and military officials been working hard? I am sending Zheng Anzhong, the Minister of the Imperial Guards and Governor of Guangzhou, to convey my regards."
There is no text provided for translation. Please provide the source text for a meaningful translation.
Emperor Wu of Liang instructed Zheng Anzhong to convey his intentions to General Ji Shuai, allowing him to return to Shu territory and take full responsibility for the affairs in Minzhou. Ji Shuai did not obey the orders, and his reply was as informal as a family member. On the Gengshen day, Ji Shuai sent Hou Rui to command the troops along the mountain road, attempting to launch a surprise attack. Ren Yue and Xie Darenn fought against them and defeated them. Shortly after, Lu Na's rebellion was quelled, and all the troops marched westward. Emperor Wu of Liang wrote to Ji Shuai again, saying, "You have worked so hard! These past few months have been unbearable with the scorching heat, hot weather, swarms of mosquitoes, and foxes causing havoc. Yet you remain on the battlefield, toiling and struggling. You are still concerned about the western front; how could you possibly understand my struggles? Ever since the invasion of the northern barbarians and the rebellion of the Jiehu, I have been getting older day by day, yet I still have to quell the rebellion and bear this pressure. When I achieve my goals, it feels like finding a precious gem. I have been looking forward to hearing from you. If it is not possible, then let's end this here. Our brotherly bond runs deep; we are closely connected like branches of the same tree. When the elder brother is wealthy and the younger brother is poor, and there is no mutual assistance, the days of humility and happiness are over. The Shanglin Park is quiet, only the sorrowful cries of birds can be heard; in the Xuan Palace, the map is spread out, sighing over the inevitability of all things perishing. My love for you is deep; this letter cannot capture the depth of my longing." "Dazhi" is Ji Shuai's courtesy name. Ji Shuai sent Yue Fengye, the Minister of Revenue, to Jiangling to discuss peace negotiations and follow previous orders to return to Shu territory. Emperor Wu of Liang knew Ji Shuai was destined to fail, so he rejected his request.
On the Bingxu day, residents of the Baxing area, including Fu Sheng and Xu Zichu, killed Gongsun Huang, the city lord at Xie Kou, and surrendered to the army of Liang. Wang Lin, Song Zai, Ren Yue, Xie Darenn, and others pursued and attacked Hou Rui, breaking through his three camps, resulting in the surrender of over ten cities on both banks of the river. General Fan Meng captured Ji Shuai and his third son Yuanman and executed them at Xie Kou; Ji Shuai was 46 years old at the time. The relevant department requested the cancellation of Ji Shuai and his family's household registration, which Emperor Wu of Liang approved, granting the Ji family the surname Taotie. Initially, Ji, referring to King Sima Gai of Xiaoxian, sought to declare himself emperor, and strange occurrences continued to unfold. The strangest occurrence was that flowers actually grew on the cypress pillars of his sleeping palace, with a total of forty-six branches that were soft and beautiful, resembling lotus flowers. Those knowledgeable remarked, "Wang Dun's flower on the staff is not a good omen!" King Ji Xiaoxian's reign title was Tianzheng, which coincided with the reign title of Xiaodong (Xiao Daocheng). People remarked, "'Tian' means 'two people,' while 'Zheng' means 'one person stops.'" Both Xiaodong and King Ji Xiaoxian declared themselves emperor, but both were overthrown after just one year.
Sima Zhengde, the King of Linhe, also known as Gonghe, was the third son of King Jinghui of Linchuan. He was rough and reckless since childhood, showing no regard for etiquette. Initially, the founding emperor, Liu Yu, known as Emperor Wu of Song, did not have a son, so he adopted him as his own. When the founding emperor became the emperor, Sima Zhengde began to harbor ambitions for the throne. Later, the founding emperor established Prince Zhaoming and appointed Sima Zhengde as the Marquis of Xifeng with a fief of five hundred households. Since then, Sima Zhengde harbored resentment and ill intentions, constantly casting sidelong glances at the palace, hoping for disasters to strike so he could take advantage of the chaos. In the sixth year of the Pu Tong reign, he was appointed as the Yellow Gate Chamberlain and was then promoted to General of Chariots and Cavalry, along with his subordinate officers. Not long after, he escaped to the state of Wei. Court officials petitioned to strip him of his title. In the seventh year, he escaped back from Wei; surprisingly, the founding emperor chose not to blame him, but restored his title and even appointed him as General of Pacifying the Barbarians.
In the year 550 AD, Xiao Zhengde was appointed as the General of the Xindu and the Governor of Wu Commandery. Later on, he was promoted to the position of Imperial Attendant, General of the Army, and was granted subordinates and titled Prince of Linhe with a fief of 2,000 households. He was further promoted to the position of General of the Left Guard. However, he grew more arrogant and gathered a band of outlaws. Hou Jing saw through his ambitions and secretly sent someone to win him over, promising him great rewards. Hou Jing wrote a letter to Xiao Zhengde, saying: "Now that the Emperor is old, corrupt officials are in power, court affairs are in chaos, and laws are overturned. I see that this situation will soon collapse. Moreover, you were meant to inherit the throne but were deposed, causing distress to all the righteous people. Although I, Hou Jing, am foolish, I am also filled with anger! The whole country is looking forward to you. How can you be concerned with personal grievances and abandon the millions of people? I may not be skilled, but I still want to contribute to the country. I hope you will seriously consider my sincerity for the sake of the people." After reading the letter, Xiao Zhengde exclaimed with joy: "Hou Jing's thoughts are the same as mine. This is the heavens helping me!" So he agreed to Hou Jing's proposal. When Hou Jing arrived at the Yangtze River, Xiao Zhengde secretly had a boat transported to the riverbank, pretending to welcome supplies, in order to allow Hou Jing to cross the river. The court remained unaware of their conspiracy and even sent Xiao Zhengde to guard the Zhuque Channel. After Hou Jing's arrival, Xiao Zhengde marched his troops alongside him, and Hou Jing proclaimed Xiao Zhengde Emperor, changing the era name to Zhengping for the first year, and appointed himself Prime Minister. After capturing Taicheng, he restored the Taiqing era name and demoted Xiao Zhengde to Grand Marshal. Xiao Zhengde held resentment, and when Hou Jing heard about it, he was worried that Xiao Zhengde would rebel, so he forged an edict and had him executed.
Xiao Yu, styled Zhongsun, is the second son of Crown Prince Zhaoming. In 550 AD, he was titled Duke of Zhijiang. In 551 AD, he was further appointed as the Prince of Hedong Commandery, with a fief of 2,000 households. He was appointed General of Ningyuan and responsible for military matters at Shitou Shu. Later, he also served as the Prefect of Langye Commandery and Pengcheng Commandery. Upon returning to the court, he was appointed as the Palace Attendant, General of Chariots and Cavalry, and was also given subordinates. He later served as the General of the South Central Army and the Inspector of Xiangzhou.
Not long after, Hou Jing launched an attack on Jiankang (modern-day Nanjing), and Wang Sengbian led his troops to rescue the city. However, by the time they reached Qingcaohu, Jiankang had already fallen. The court commanded the troops to retreat, and Wang Sengbian returned to Xiangzhou (modern-day Changsha). At this time, Emperor Wu of Liang's army was stationed in Wucheng. The newly appointed Inspector of Yongzhou, Zhang Zizan, discreetly reported to Emperor Wu of Liang, saying, "There are people in Hedong rising up in rebellion, and Yueyang has hoarded a large amount of food. They have evil intentions and are preparing to attack Jiangling." Emperor Wu of Liang was extremely concerned and returned via the water route. He sent the Military Advisor Zhou Hong to urge Wang Sengbian to quickly send provisions and troops for support. Wang Sengbian replied, "We each command our own troops; why should we suddenly take orders from someone else?" After sending envoys three times, Wang Sengbian refused to comply. Emperor Wu of Liang was furious and sent the Crown Prince Xiao Fang and others to subdue him, but they were defeated by Wang Sengbian, and the Crown Prince perished in battle. Emperor Wu of Liang then ordered the Inspector of Xinzhou, Bao Quan, to attack Wang Sengbian, and wrote him a letter outlining the consequences, urging him to reconsider. Wang Sengbian did not reply, but instead fortified his city and prepared to resist. He told Bao Quan, "A defeated general has no claim to bravery. If you want to attack, then go ahead; there's nothing more to discuss."
Bao Quan's army was stationed at Shigou Temple, and Wang Sengbian led the army in a counteroffensive, but they were defeated and retreated. Bao Quan's army then moved to Juzhou, where Wang Sengbian launched a full-scale attack but still could not take it. As night approached and the soldiers grew weary, Bao Quan took advantage of the situation and attacked, defeating Wang Sengbian, killing three thousand and drowning over ten thousand. Wang Sengbian then burned the houses on the outskirts of Changsha, forcing the residents into the city, which Bao Quan's army then surrounded. Wang Sengbian was known for his bravery and skill in battle, able to reassure his troops and earn their loyalty. Despite being besieged for a long time with all communication severed, the defense remained strong. Later, Emperor Wu of Liang sent a different General Wang Sengbian to replace Bao Quan in attacking Wang Sengbian. Wang Sengbian built earth mounds to assault the city day and night, with arrows raining down, resulting in heavy casualties among the defenders. Wang Sengbian (the besieged) saw no way out and secretly prepared a fleet of ships to escape. At this time, his subordinate Murong Hua led Wang Sengbian (the attacker) into the city, where Wang Sengbian (the besieged) saw everyone fleeing and was ultimately captured. He pleaded with his captors, saying, "Please don’t kill me! Allow me to speak with officials of the 7th rank or higher, and I will reveal the crimes of these traitors. I will have no regrets even if I die." The guards replied, "We must follow orders and cannot promise that." Wang Sengbian (the besieged) was beheaded, and his head was sent to Jingzhou, where Emperor Wu of Liang arranged for it to be buried in his hometown.
At first, when Wang Sengbian (the besieged) was about to be defeated, he looked in the mirror and couldn't see his own head; then he saw a giant constructing a house, with his hands on the ground, looking down at his home; then he saw a white dog the size of a donkey running out of the city, without a clue where it had gone. Wang Sengbian (the besieged) was really disturbed by these omens, and soon the city was breached.
The history books say: Xiao Zong and Xiao Zhengde, the two brothers, rebelled and acted arrogantly, and were ultimately exterminated; they brought this upon themselves; they got what they deserved!
During the Taiqing era, turmoil broke out, and Xiao Ji occupied the territories of Yongzhou and Shuzhou, with a powerful army, yet he failed to come to the king's rescue, showing no sense of duty as a subject. It was only after the enemy Xiao Jing was eliminated that he began to raise troops; this uprising was entirely unjustified and just asked for trouble, ultimately leading to failure. Alas! Those two really brought upon themselves the punishment of Guan Shu and Cai Shu; it was all their own fault! "Deserving the punishment of Guan and Cai, truly brought upon themselves." This old saying really hits the mark!
